Knitting machine



Sept. 10, 1935. |-lA H, HOLMES 2,014,132

KNITTINGYMACHIN Filed Jan. 5l, 193,4 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. l0, 1935. H.H. HOLMES 2,014,132

vKNITTINGMACHIME:

Filed Jan. 3l, 1934v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inde?? F01? MMU 35 Sept. 10, 1935.H H HQLMES 2,014,132

KNITTINGLMACHINE Filed Jan. 3l, 1934 3 SheetS-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 10,1935 Y` UNITED STATES 2,014,132 KNrr'rmG MACHINE Henry Harold Holmes,Leicester, England, as-

signor to Wildt and Company Limited, Leicester, England, a Britishcompany Application January 31, 1934, Serial No. 709,216 In GreatBritain February 9, 1933 12 Claims.

This invention consists in improvements in or relating to knittingmachines, and has for its object to provide an improved means wherebyopenwork or other pattern eiects can be produced in fabric partly `orwholly with the aid of pelerine instruments.

'Ihe present invention comprises, in a knitting machine, the combinationof needles and pelerine instruments carried in one and the same bed, and

means to actuate said needles and instruments for their appropriatefunctions. Preferably, the means for actuating the needles and pelerineinstruments is selective in its action on either the needles or on thepelerine instruments or on both.

l5 In some circumstances, it may be preferable to arrange the needlesand pelerine instruments in different tricks in the bed, and in othercircumstances, the invention may include a construction in which asingle trick contains both a needle and a pelerine instrument orinstruments.y

The invention also comprises a knitting machine in which some or all ofthe pelerine instruments are so shaped and actuated that they canreceive a stitch from a needle in one needle bed and transfer it to aneedle in a companion needle bed in a rib knitting machine, therebyserving to produce a change in the character or pattern of the knitting,that is to say, a change from rib knitting to plain knitting and viceversa.

ly understood, a preferred example will now be described with the aid ofthe accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view representing a dial needle bed withneedles, and an associated cylinder having needles, pelerine instrumentsand operating cams therefor,

Figures 2 and 3 are side views showing the relative positions of needlesand pelerine instruments at diierent stages in the operation of themachine,

Figure 4 illustrates the operation of the pelerine instruments duringthe action of transferring a cylinder loop to a dial needle,

Figure 5 illustrates an arrangement of cams for cylinder needles andpelerine instruments different from that of Figure 1,

Figure 6 illustrates the action of the cams shown in Figure 5, and

types and arrangements of pelerine instruments that may be used inaccordance with this invention.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several gures ofdrawings.

In order that the invention may be more cleari Figures 7, 8 and 9 serveto-illustrate different Turning rst of all to Figure 1, a dial needlebed I0 is shown having dial needles II therein. The cylinder bed for thesake of clearness has been omitted, but it is to be understood thatFigure 1 represents cylinder needles I2 and pelerine 5 instruments I3arranged in alternate tricks in the cylinder. In Figure l for sake ofclearness, only a few of the needles and pelerine instruments are shown,but it is to be understood that the cylinder will preferably becompletely filled l0 with the alternately disposed needles andinstruments. Naturally, the dial I 0 may be replaced by `any other formof needle bed serviceable in rib knitting machines.

The dial needles will be operated by an asso- 15 ciated cam system ofany known form, by which they will be projected at a position marked Ito receive a yarn feed, whereupon they will be retracted in the usualmanner to form knitted loops at a position approximately that indicatedby II. 20 The relative direction of movement of the dial needles withrespect to their cams is indicated by y the arrow I4, and the arrow I5serves similarly to indiacte the relative movement of the cylinderneedles and pelerine instruments relatively to 25 their cams. In thecylinder cam box there is a dividing cam I 6 for the pelerineinstruments spaced above a low level track I1 therefor, and at thetermination of the cam I 6 there is a swing cam I8 pivoted at I9, aradially movable bolt 30 cam 20 and lifting and depressing cams 2l and22 respectively for use in a transferring operation. For thecylinder'needles there is a low level track 23 leading to needle raisingcams 24, 25 of which the cam 24 can be adjusted vertically from 35 thefull to chain line positions shown, and the cam 25 can swing about apivot 26 also from the full to the chain line positions indicated. Thesecams serve to accommodate and actuate long and short butt needles inknown manner, and in their raised 40 positions lead the needles to astitch cam 21 by which the needles are returned again to the low leveltrack 23. Succeeding the stitch cam 2l in operation are raisingandlowering cams 28 and 29 respectively for acting on the cylinderneedles 45 during the stitch transferring operation, and of these twocams, 28 is vertically adjustable from full to chain line positions.

Figure l may be taken to represent the cams at one feed in the machine,and preferably on each side of that feed will be other feeds associatedwith a cam arrangement as illustrated in Figure 5. The latter can,therefore, be considered as illustrating a continuation of the cylindercam box at either end of the parts shown in 55 cam 20 will bridge thegap between cams I8 andl Figure 1. 'I'he cams illustrated in Figure 5are intended to be associated with a feed at which stitch t1 lnsferencefrom the needles of one bed to those of another is not to occur. Thecams IIB, |24, |25 and |21 of Figure 5 are similar in their operation tothe cams I8, 24, 25 and 21 respectively of Figure 1, and in place ofcams such as 28 and 25 there will be the usual latch-opening cam 3l).

There will be a gap between the termination of cam IIS and thecommencement of cam I6 if the cam system of Figure 5 is to the right ofthat shown in Figure l, and there will also be a gap between the cam 23and cam H6 when the system occurring in Figure 5 is on the left of thatshown in Figure 1.

The position corresponding to the gap between cams IIS and I6 is to beconsidered as a selecting position for the pelerine instruments and thisselection is obtained by means of selectors 3| which 4can be movedendwise into and out from a position to engage jacks 32 associated withthe instruments |3-one jack to each instrument. Each selector 3| whenmoved to a position illustrated in Figure 1 to engage beneath a jack 32will, at the same time, be brought into the path of a jack lifting cam33, whereby the pelerine instrument will be raised to a height at whichits butt 34 will be raised to the upper edge of cam I6. Instrumentsassociated with jacks that are unselected in this manner, will enter thetracks I'I beneath the cam H6.

Similarly, it is to be understood that selecting means similar to 3|, 33will be employed immediately in front of each cam I 6 or Il6, so that ateach feed selection of pelerine instruments can take place.

' The pelerine instruments are preferably shaped as shown in Figures 1,2 and 3, from which l it will be seen that the upstanding horn at thetop of the instrument is offset circumferentially towards its associatedneedle on the right of it, and also rearwardly in a radial directiontowards the axis of the machine. The needles I2 are each preferablyformed with a stem having below the latch a groove 36 in which the pointof the associated pelerine instrument can slide when the needle has beenfully raised as shown in Figure 2.

In operation the action of the machine is as follows:

i Assuming that the cylinder and dial needles are all knitting toproduce ribbed fabric, cams such as 28 will be lowered to the chain lineposition, bolt cams such as 20 will be withdrawn clear of the track I'l,and selectors 3| will remain in inoperative positions. The needleactuating cams in both the cylinder and dial will be operative to causetheir needles to knit in the usual manner, but the pelerine instrumentswill travel in -the low leveltrack I1 and will therefore be inac- 2| andthe swinging cam I8 will be raised to permit entry of the bolt cam 20into its position. A

i continuous cam surface is, therefore, virtually they will be againprojected by cam 28 to a height suilicient to clear the stitches belowthe needle latches and immediately after this raising o! the needles iscompleted, the associated instruments I3 will in turn be raised by camssuch as 20 on to cams such as 2|. While the pelerine instruments ride upcams such as 2|, the needles will be, simultaneously retracted by camssuch as 23, and the pelerine instruments will enter the stitchespreviously held by the cylinder needles, and during the transference ofthe needles to the pelerine instruments, the heads of the latter willslide in grooves 36 of the needles.

Figure 2 represents the commencement of this transferring operation ofthe stitches to the pelerine instrument and corresponds to a needle atposition III of Figure 1. Figure 3 illustrates the needles at a positionIV of Figure 1 and Figure 4 similarly illustrates the positions atposition V of Figure 1. In the latter position it will be seen that theneedle has completely shed its stitch, and the pelerine instrument hasbeen so far moved through the stitch that thelatter has passed on to thevertical portion of the pelerine instrument and in so doing has beendeflected in front of an adjacent dial needle so that on a furtherprojection of the dial needles at position VI` they will in turn enterthe loops that have been thus deflected in front of them, whereupon thepelerine instruments will be retracted by cam 22 to yield the loopscompletely to the dial needles. 'Thereafter all the cylinder needleswill be retained in the low level track 23, cams 24, 25 and- |24, |25will be lowered to the chain line. positions, and plain knitting willthus proceed.

Patterning can now be effected with the aid of the pelerine instrumentsonly. At a feed such as Figure 1, the instruments can be selectivelycontrolled by the selectors 3| and those which are raised tothe top ofcams I6 or IIB will receive 'on them sinker loops of the plain knitting.When side or the other according to the shape of the 45.

horns of the instruments. For instance, when the instruments are bent tothe right as in Figures. 1 to 4, the sinker loops will be transferred tothe left. If, on the other hand, the horns of the instruments areinclined to the left as in Figure 9, they will transfersinker loops tothe right or alternatively as in Figures '7 and 8, some of theinstruments may be formed with other horns gent in one direction andsome in the other direcion,

In Figures 8 and 9, each trick in the needle cylinder 35 'is ofsuilicient width to receive a needle and a pelerine instrument side byside. In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 7, the tricks will beformed to receive in alternate tricks needles only, and in theintermediate tricks two pelerine instruments side by side.

If the cam systems at all the feeds are arranged as in Figure 1,transference of sinker loops byV selected instruments will occur at eachfeed. If it is desired to accumulate more than one loop on an instrumentprior to transference, the cam system of Figure 5 or more than one suchsystem can be utilized in advance of that according to Figure l. It willbe seen in Figure 5 that selected instruments will ride along the top ofcam IIS, but no transfer movement of the instruments will be made. Thoseinstruments which have thus been selected will continue to ride on tothe top of cam I0 and will each accumulate a second sinker loop, both ofwhich will be transferred together when they reach the cam system 2l,2|, 22. Obviously, it is possible thus on some instruments to accumulatethe loops, and on other instruments to take only one loop by selectingthose instruments immediately in advance of cam I6 to raise them to theupper track of that cam. Moreover, by the selective action of a selectorsuch as Il, which as stated above, may be in advance of each cam such asI6 or IIS, the action of the instruments can be controlled selectivelyto produce any desired pelerine pattern.

What has been described in the foregoing in relation to the cylinderneedles and their association with pelerine instruments may obviously beemployed in a similar manner in association with the dial needles, inwhich case representations such as are made in Figures 2 and 3 must beviewed as though turned through a right angle, and representations suchas in Figures 4 and 6 must be then considered as plan views of theneedle and instrument arrangement instead of elevations. On thisunderstanding also, it will be appreciated that it is possible toprovide in each needle bed, a combination of needles and pelerineinstruments.

In Figure 1 as has been stated, some, but not all of the needles andpelerine instruments in the cylinder have been illustrated. Thisillustration can, therefore, be taken to indicate that there are as manyneedles in the cylinder as there are in the dial, or there may be moreneedles in the dial than in the cylinder thus providing for a patternset-out for rib knitting. When there are the same number of needles inboth needle beds, 1 x l rib knitting will be produced.

If the arrangement is such that adjacent needles in the needle cylinderare separated (in the knitting sequences) by two dial needles, 2 x 1 ribknitting will be produced. Alternatively some of the needles in the dialmay be omitted to enable a reverse pattern set out to be made.Notwithstanding the set out of the needles stitch transfers can be madein the manner above described and pelerine patterns may also besimilarly worked. It will be further understood that a pelerineinstrument could be actuated without material alteration of themechanism described to penetrate a loop held on a dial needle and totransfer it to a cylinder needle. For this purpose it will be necessarywhile the cylinder needles are retracted to raise an instrument to theposition V and at VI to project the dial needles sufficiently far toshed their loops and to leave them on the pelerine instruments. Thelatter would not be retracted by a cam such as 22 until they reach theposition at which the cylinder needles are raised to knitting height bycams such as 2l and 25, whereupon the instruments may be retracted topass their loops on to the cylinder needles. Thus, transference from ribto plain or plain to rib knitting can be made.

The reference at the commencement of the specication to the adjustmentof needles for patterning effects can be obtained by means of the cams24, 25 which can be adjusted so vthat either short butt needles or longbutt needles or both are raised to thread taking height.

Selectors such as 3l may be actuated by any preferred mechanism such asjacquard mechanism.

It will be realized that where reference is made to the transfer ofneedles or instruments along I claim: 5

l. A knitting machine comprising two-sets of needles and in combinationwith at least one set thereof additional instruments so formed as to becapable of functioning optionally as pelerine instruments or as stitchtransfer instruments.

2. A knitting machine comprising two sets of needles, means to feed yarnthereto, and combined with at least one set thereof additionaladjustable instruments each so shaped that its outer end liessufficiently close to an adjacent needle that relal5 tive movementbetween them in a direction parallel to the length of the needle willcause the instrument to enter a knitted loop carried on the needle and aportion of the instrument behind that end is spaced sufficiently fromthe needle to be 20 capable of receiving a sinker Wale portion of yarnfed to needles in the companion bed when the instrument is adjusted toco-operate with the lat` ter needles.

3. Aknitting machine according to claim 1 251 having a bed to receive aset of needles and the additional instruments associated with them, andtricks in the bed formed to receive, in a single trick, a needle and anadditional instrument.

4. A knitting machine according to claim 2 having a bed to receive a setof needles and the additional instruments associated with them, andtricks in the bed formed to receive, in a single trick, a needle and anadditional instrument.

5. A knitting machine comprising in combination two needle-beds, needlesin each bed, additional instruments so formed as to be capable offunctioning optionally as pelerine instruments and as stitch transferinstruments which instruments are formed with butts, and are slidable in40 at least one of the needle beds, idle and actuating tracks engagingthe instrument butts, and selecting means for guiding the said buttsinto the respective tracks thereby to determine which of their functionsthey are to fulfill. 45

6. A knitting machine comprising in combination two needle beds, needlesin each bed, additional instruments so formed as to be capable offunctioning optionally as pelerine instruments and as stitch transferinstruments. which instru- 50 ments are formed with butts and areslidable in at least one of the needle beds, idle and actuating tracksengaging the instrument butts, selecting means for guiding the saidbutts into the respective tracks thereby to determine which of their 55functions they are to fulll, a needle track, stitch cams therein, andneedle transfer cams and instrument transfer cams whereby not only canthe needles be raised and retracted to cast their loops but theinstruments can also be raised to receive those loops and thereaftermove them to a transfer position relatively to the needles in theassociated needle bed.

'7. A knitting machine comprising in combination two needle beds,needles in each bed, a mul- B5 tiple yarn feed, additional instrumentsin at least one needle bed and so formed as to be capable of functioningoptionally as pelerine instruments and as stitch transfer instruments,which instruments are formed with butts, tracks associated 70 with eachfeed for the needles and instruments, and in association with some atleast of the feeds selecting means for the instruments to locate them ona selected track whereby they will be idle or be raised to a position toform a pelerine stitch according to the track to which they have beenselected, and also in association with some t least of Vthe feedsadjustable selective means to move selected instruments to a position totransfer a stitch from one needle bed to the other.

8. A knitting machine comprising in combination two needle beds, needlesin each bed, a multiple yarn-feed, additional instruments in at leastone needle bed and so formed as to be capable of functioning optionallyas pelerine instruments and as stitch transfer instruments, whichinstruments are formed with`butts. tracks associated with each feed forthe needles and instruments, and in association with each feed selectingmeans for the instruments to locate them on a selected track wherebythey will be idle or be raised to a position to form a pelerine stitchaccording to the track to which they have been selected, and also in-association with each feed adjustable selective means to move selectedinstruments to a position to transfer a stitch from one needle bed tothe other.

9. For a knitting machine having two needle beds and needles therein, aninstrument which is additional to the needles and is so formed as to becapable of functioning optionally as a pelerine instrument or as astitch transfer instrument.

10. For a knitting machine having two needle beds and needles therein, aplurality of instruments which are additional to the needles and are soformed as to be capable of functioning optionally as pelerineinstruments or as stitch transfer instruments.

Il. A knitting machine comprising in combination a cylinder and a dialboth containing needles to co-operate for knitting, additionalinstruments slidable parallel with the needles in the cylinder and eachso formed at its upper end that by a relative sliding movement betweenit and an associated cylinder needle it can enter and receive the stitchon that needle but when raised to a greater height it will be in aposition to receive a sinker loop of yarn fed to the needles, a yarnfeed for supplying yarn to the two sets of needles, butts on the needlesand on the instruments, upper and lower cam tracks for the instrumentbutts, cam tracks for the needle butts, switch cams controlling both theinstrument tracks and the needle tracks for positioning the needles andthe instruments for their desired functions, and selecting meansadditional to the switch cams for locating the instruments in either theupper or the lower track.

12. A knitting V machine comprising in combiation a cylinder and a dialboth containing needles to co-operate for knitting, additionalinstruments slidable parallel with the needles in the cylinder and eachso formed at its upper end that by a relative sliding movement betweenit and an associated cylinder needle it can enter and receive the stitchon that needle but when raised to a greater height it will be in a.position to receive a sinker loop of yarn fed to the needles, aplularity of yarn feeds for supplying yarn to the two sets of needles,butts on the needles and on the instruments, upper and lower cam tracksfor the instrument butts, cam tracks for the needle butts, switch camsat some at least of the feeds for controlling both the instrument tracksand the needle tracks for positioning the needles and the instrumentsfor their desired functions, and selecting means additional to theswitch cams for locating the instruments in either the upper or thelower track.

HENRY HAROLD HOLMES.

